The Centre Of The Bed

Joan Bakewell's autobiography is a beautifully written self-portrait by one of our most respected broadcasters.

In extracts from this illuminating story of her life, Joan Bakewell retraces her steps from her childhood in Stockport to her career in television, which she juggled with motherhood, marriage and a long-running affair.

As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful childhood memories of her mother's behaviour and talks candidly about her affair with Harold Pinter.

She describes her experiences as one of the first female broadcasters on BBC television and as the only woman on the ground-breaking programme Late Night Line-Up, which made her a sixties icon.

She describes her reaction to being labelled 'the thinking man's crumpet' and draws on her own experiences to chart the extraordinary changes in women's roles during her lifetime.

Station

Radio 4

Series

Book of the Week

Duration

15 Minutes

Episodes

Episode

FirstBroadcast

Comments

01

20031020

Joan Bakewell's autobiography is a beautifully written self-portrait by one of our most respected broadcasters.

In extracts from this illuminating story of her life, Joan Bakewell retraces her steps from her childhood in Stockport to her career in television, which she juggled with motherhood, marriage and a long-running affair.

As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful childhood memories of her mother's behaviour and talks candidly about her affair with Harold Pinter.

She describes her experiences as one of the first female broadcasters on BBC television and as the only woman on the ground-breaking programme Late Night Line-Up, which made her a sixties icon.

She describes her reaction to being labelled 'the thinking man's crumpet' and draws on her own experiences to chart the extraordinary changes in women's roles during her lifetime.

01

20031020

Joan Bakewell's autobiography is a beautifully written self-portrait by one of our most respected broadcasters.

In extracts from this illuminating story of her life, Joan Bakewell retraces her steps from her childhood in Stockport to her career in television, which she juggled with motherhood, marriage and a long-running affair.

As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful childhood memories of her mother's behaviour and talks candidly about her affair with Harold Pinter.

She describes her experiences as one of the first female broadcasters on BBC television and as the only woman on the ground-breaking programme Late Night Line-Up, which made her a sixties icon.

She describes her reaction to being labelled 'the thinking man's crumpet' and draws on her own experiences to chart the extraordinary changes in women's roles during her lifetime.

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20031021

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Episodes

Episode

FirstBroadcast

Comments

01

20031020

Joan Bakewell's autobiography is a beautifully written self-portrait by one of our most respected broadcasters.

In extracts from this illuminating story of her life, Joan Bakewell retraces her steps from her childhood in Stockport to her career in television, which she juggled with motherhood, marriage and a long-running affair.

As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful childhood memories of her mother's behaviour and talks candidly about her affair with Harold Pinter.

She describes her experiences as one of the first female broadcasters on BBC television and as the only woman on the ground-breaking programme Late Night Line-Up, which made her a sixties icon.

She describes her reaction to being labelled 'the thinking man's crumpet' and draws on her own experiences to chart the extraordinary changes in women's roles during her lifetime.

01

20031020

Joan Bakewell's autobiography is a beautifully written self-portrait by one of our most respected broadcasters.

In extracts from this illuminating story of her life, Joan Bakewell retraces her steps from her childhood in Stockport to her career in television, which she juggled with motherhood, marriage and a long-running affair.

As she reflects on the choices she has made and the influences that shaped her, she confronts painful childhood memories of her mother's behaviour and talks candidly about her affair with Harold Pinter.

She describes her experiences as one of the first female broadcasters on BBC television and as the only woman on the ground-breaking programme Late Night Line-Up, which made her a sixties icon.

She describes her reaction to being labelled 'the thinking man's crumpet' and draws on her own experiences to chart the extraordinary changes in women's roles during her lifetime.